NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho said the council is going to handle filling Sara Bagwell's council seat differently than previous vacancies.
"People were merely appointed by the council," the mayor said. "It was just kind of plucking somebody out of that particular district and allowing them to finish out the term. We wanted it to be a little more open and provide an opportunity for people to apply, if they wanted to."
That application window will open next week.
"We're going to have an application process that is similar to one of our commissions," the mayor said. "If you want to be on the planning commission or the tree board, you fill out an application. It's relatively short and we will have that available on the website, starting on the 3rd, after our meeting. We wanted to use the meeting as an opportunity to advertise, and educate people on the opening and where they can find the information."
People need to understand that even applying for the job will put them in the public eye.
"We're keeping that open for about 10 days," the mayor said. "We want to be able to review those applications on the 17th, so the second meeting in January, and make selections. It's important to recognize that these are open applications, which means that they will be included in the City Council packet that goes out the Thursday prior to that meeting. I would anticipate media outreach to the people who have submitted their names and maybe have questions for them to answer, in addition to the questions they have answered on the council application."
Since Bagwell held the at large representative seat for the council, all you have to be is a Hutchinson resident, anywhere in the city, for the last six months.
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